(Exclusive Audio) Gaza Flotilla: Catching the Next Wave

So-called activists from Iran, Turkey, Lebanon, Germany and several other countries are planning on sending waves of blockade-busting sea craft towards Gaza in coming days and weeks.

In an exclusive interview, Dave Bender speaks with an American-Israeli maritime security expert who says Israel must take a harder, clearer tack in averting a humanitarian disaster in the Hamas-led Palestinian enclave - and a possible military one on the high seas between Israel and its sworn enemies.

Listen in: http://www.davebrianbender.com

'A Terrorist's Guide to Improving Israel's Media Coverage'

A wickedly delicious, satirical, Machiavellian romp through the media looking glass in A Terrorist's Guide to Improving Israel's Media Coverage:

"If Israel wants the same supportive coverage that Fatah and Hamas get, it needs to play by their rules. Press credentials would then go to those who provide positive coverage. Those reporters who want to take pictures of wall graffiti and stage photos of Muslim children throwing stones at Israeli tanks need not apply. If the New York Times or NBC News can't find anyone willing to play by those rules, the way they do in Gaza and Ramallah, then they can stay home and they won't be able to do their jobs.

"The mainstream media will be outraged, you say. There will be even more negative coverage. As if there isn't heaps of it now. And what will the negative media coverage be of? Reporters forced to stay home. Foreign correspondents who have to cover an election in Hungary, instead of eating caviar in a Jerusalem hotel and writing vicious articles about Jewish Middle Eastern refugees living in East Jerusalem.

Ha'aretz reporters will have to move to London to write biting columns in the Guardian about how racist the country they used to live in, is. Before they move on to the inevitable theater reviews and finally begin writing ad copy for insurance agencies. Oh the pathos, the pity. No one will care."

Read the rest.

'Israel Okays Plan to Raze Palestinian Squatters' Homes'

Palestinian nationalistic graffiti at the entrance to a home in Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood. (Dave Bender - All Rights Reserved)

By Dave Bender
The Jerusalem Municipality says it wants to move the residents temporarily during construction, and then relocate them at the same location, but in better housing. The master plan includes replacing roads, water and sewer infrastructure, adding municipal services, hotels, and an archaeological park. Palestinians are skeptical of Israel's promises and intentions. Read more.

Israel: Chillin' on a Blisterin' Day

Acre sunset (Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

It's been far, far too hot yesterday and today, so I offer a virtual chiller of a photo I shot at the Crusader-era Old City of Acre (Acco). Enjoy.

'Novartis, Israeli Startup Ink Pharma Deal'

By Dave Bender
Biopharmaceutical firm NasVax has signed a deal with Swiss pharma giant Norvartis to develop new vaccines together, including influenza-fighting strains. "What's significant is that Novartis is one of the five largest vaccine companies in the world," Dr. Ronald Ellis, NasVax senior vice president and chief technical officer, tells ISRAEL21c, "and they found it attractive to work with us." Read the rest.

'Israel Eases Gaza Aid Blockade, Naval Siege Continues'

By Dave Bender, Geng Xuepeng

JERUSALEM, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Monday began allowing more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while promising continued enforcement of its naval blockade on the enclave, a spokesman with Israeli Prime Minister's office said. Read more.

Tel Aviv: Extreme Sports Are Hoppin'

'Jumping for Joy' on the Tel Aviv beach (Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

Athletic jumpers, using stilt-like springs (so, does this qualify as an 'extreme sport?') wow the crowd, on a late afternoon alongside the Tel Aviv beach.

BREAKING: Helen Thomas Quits WH, Retires

From the Huffington Post:

"Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately," a Hearst Newspapers statement said. "Her decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet."

Oddly enough, "doyen" (as in, 'The doyen' of the Washington press corps.") is pure Biblical Hebrew for "judge." Wonder what Helen would think of that ("Oh - cackle - the irony! It burns!").

So burn, baby, burn (in the Florida sun, in retirement, with all those Jewish bubbies and zaydies all around).

Bridge of Size: Jerusalem's Light Rail

'Bridge of Size' (Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

This dramatic Calatrava-designed cantilever bridge post buoys a curving cable matrix over Jerusalem's long-delayed light rail project.

This means, as long as you just look up, and it's at this sort of abstract B&W image, it's ok - otherwise it's a frikin' uglificious, soul-killing mess for residents, businesses, and private and public transportation along the route):


(Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)


(Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

...and from the driver's POV:

(Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

Israeli Apartheid: Proof!!!

Give it up for 34-year-old Nikia Brown, an American singer on the Israeli version of American Idol:


She and her husband converted, and up and moved to Israel, and say they are very happy here.

(Geez' peeps, we have just GOT to work harder on that haterz' stuff, huh? And yeah, and that was a bait and switch headline... so sue me)

Gaza flotilla: both sides vow new confrontations

By Dave Bender, Gur Salomon, Yuan Zhenyu

JERUSALEM, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A day after the Israeli commando' s deadly raid on the Gaza aid convoy, there is no sign of an end to the hype. Both Israeli officials and international activists are standing their ground and say they're preparing for the next round.

Israeli government on Tuesday began dealing with repercussions of the incident. While most of the pro-Gaza activists are still under detention, Israeli military, after strict security check, delivered several trucks of aid unloaded from the flotilla to the coastal enclave.

Read more.